Big Winners from Opening Round of Kansas 6A State Championships

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That's how to make a first impression.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I finally made the trek from Nebraska to Kansas to check in on the state tournament scene in the Sunflower State. I've been covering Nebraska's tournaments for years, and I was eager to get the lay of the land ahead of future visits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And what a way to dip our toes into the water. BluHawk's facilities have already expanded their footprint on the club side, but this new Overland Park venue was the site of Thursday's Class 6A quarterfinal pools. We had no shortage of recognizable stars to cover, and now we have further ideas about how to approach our next Kansas visits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a feature about "big winners" from those quarterfinals, but we could also frame this as "lessons learned" from a day trip to Kansas City. It's merely a primer for things to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Powerhouses are Rolling</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class 6A had a couple of big title favorites heading into Thursday's pools, and those teams certainly delivered on the hype.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Specifically, we're looking at the top two seeds in each four-team pool: Mill Valley and Blue Valley West. A double dose of Jaguar dominance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This wasn't our first run-in with the defending champs, either. Blue Valley West traveled up north to participate in a regular-season tournament with a host of Nebraska frontrunners. The Jaguars won that bout on the road, and the triumphs haven't stopped rolling in. Going from Peyton Kubik to Jensen Kubik in the left-side rotation is almost unfair. Then, you get Aliyah Harris playing a rare middle-outside hybrid role while also anchoring the back row. It's a lot to take in.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blue Valley West swept its way into the semifinals, and so did the undefeated No. 1 seed. Mill Valley has some serious Dynasty flair on its roster, starting with the setter-opposite tandem of Ellie Bain and Sophia Sturdy. Not many prep teams are able to pull off a 6-2 with both setter-hitters playing around the dial. This is not a typical team, however. Riley Riggs and Josie Danielson have added to the onslaught on the outside.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2115855236397248919?a=QZ0MV4ZhT4rTdrTreuIu0026amp;s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2115855236397248919?a=QZ0MV4ZhT4rTdrTreuI&amp;s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Branching Out</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's give a nod to some new teams and players on our radar after this visit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was particularly excited to see Garden City, with the lethal junior duo of Josslynn George and Carly Vollertsen putting up such eye-popping numbers. I may have had a bit of a trek from Nebraska to Kansas City, but the Buffaloes traveled even further. This western Kansas crew will be primed for future breakthroughs, with underclassmen like Haven Hemmert and Sophie Doll playing big roles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We'll also give a nod to Washburn Rural, which looked sharp with veteran setter Samantha McIntosh running the show. This is another squad growing ahead of schedule behind underclassmen. Brynn Anderson and Kyndall Cochran were on our radar heading into this one, and both were incredibly poised while locking down the left-side hitter spots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of course, we have so many more athlete shoutouts to dish out in the wake of this weekend's action. Consider this a small preview.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Fan Engagement</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As mentioned in our intro, some fans might immediately associate BluHawk with the prior club events hosted there. However, Thursday's quarterfinals had the true feel of a state tournament environment. This was prep pageantry through and through.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fans deserve a lot of credit for making this happen. Large student sections got cozy to make space, especially while teams waited for their matches to begin. Managing this transition period can be chaotic, but it somehow added to the energy and tension in the gym.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2115834140016926963?a=QHxw6B7_P51ZuZOCybUu0026amp;s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"x","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/2115834140016926963?a=QHxw6B7_P51ZuZOCybU&amp;s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Charting the Course</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So, what's next?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've always shown up to the Nebraska state tournaments looking to cover as many athletes as possible. That remains the aim in Kansas, but we're still working out what that looks like.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It should all come together next fall. The biggest challenge is balancing four different host sites across Kansas' seven different classes, but I'm confident we can find a proper balance. Perhaps my many travels to Kansas City during the upcoming club season will spark something.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Until then, I'm thrilled to keep the ball rolling in the Heart of America. I'll be back for this December's showcase, and then it's full-speed into club action. That's where the travel miles really rack up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was a great start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->